Pass It On

Do you know that when God blesses us, it’s often times not actually designed for us? When God gives to us, it’s not just a gift for us, but rather a gift for someone else. He desires for us to pass our gift on to another.

Likewise, the same can be said for our tests and trials. Many times, they’re not about just punishing us or making our lives more miserable. Rather, they are designed to give us a testimony that might help someone else going through the same situation.

See, as much as we like to think that the world revolves around us, often times God has something bigger in mind. He uses us to bless other people.

So, the next time you’re in a situation – be it positive or negative – remember that God has a bigger plan than the one you see. He’s looking to accomplish bigger things in and through you.

God bless,
J.W.

"The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped." ~ Proverbs 11:25 (The Message)

Waiting

“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31

Waiting is often the most difficult part about being a believer.

Whenever God promises us something, He often delays its manifestation.

For instance, over 10 years ago, God gave me a vision for a fledging entertainment company. He told me that it would touch millions of lives and that I’d have influence over large amounts of people. But, it’s only after years of waiting, of starts and stops, of periods of success and failure that I can now see the plan starting to come together.

Over 4 years ago, God initially gave Michele and I a vision to write a script based on our lives. He told us that it would touch over 15 million people and be a huge success. But it’s only after years of waiting, of drafts and edits, of visions and revisions, of idleness and lulls that we now have an opportunity to show it to larger audiences.

The point is that, as Christians, at some point along the line, we will have to wait. There’s absolutely no way around it.

The question really is, “how well will we handle our periods of waiting?”

Will we get impatient and do things our own way? Or will we trust God to bring about the plan in His own time?

The key is to seek God, for He promises to renew our strength… if we wait on Him.

See, God knows that our times of waiting are really periods of testing; and by testing us, He makes us better Christians; through trials and tribulations, He builds character in us; and in delay, He increases our faith.

In a world full of instant gratification, God knows that we will only appreciate those things that He makes us wait for.

So what are you waiting for today? Seek God in your periods of waiting and watch as He renews your strength.

God bless,
J.W.

Religion vs. Relationship

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." ~ Galatians 5:1

Recently, my family and I have been reading The Shack by William P. Young. It’s a story about a man dealing with a bout of depression as a result of his youngest child being abducted and murder by a serial killer. The man then receives an anonymous invitation from an unknown source to return to the scene of the crime, where he experiences a life-changing encounter with God.

I won’t give away the whole story, but I do want to address what I consider the book’s primary and most powerful point – and that is the difference between religion and relationship.

As Christians, many of us live our lives in religion. We feel a duty or obligation to go to church every week, to pray before we eat and go to bed, to read our Bible every night, to attend Bible study on a weekly basis. And all that stuff is good.

But without relationship, it means nothing. It certainly won’t bring you salvation or freedom. Rather, religion without relationship will bind you. It’ll handcuff you to laws and rituals and not allow you to experience all that God has to offer.

See, God doesn’t want our allegiance based out of fear or obligation. He wants a relationship based in love and freedom.

It’s only when we focus more on relationship and less on religion that we will truly experience God’s love for us in its fullness.

If you haven’t read The Shack yet, I encourage you to do so. It’ll change your life.

God bless,
J.W.

Open Doors

"You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe —and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? ~ James 2:19-20

In the Christian community, there’s a cliché that's pretty popular – “God opens doors that no man can shut and shuts doors that no man can open.”

But what happens when God opens a door? Are we, as Christians, automatically guaranteed success? What lies on the other side is undoubtedly a blessing, but do we automatically receive that blessing simply because God opened the door? Is our success solely reliant on God’s work or do we have some responsibility?

As many doors as God might open for us, we won’t actually receive the blessing that awaits us if we’re not prepared and positioned to walk through the open door.

Perhaps it’s because we’re carrying so much spiritual baggage that we’re no longer able to fit through the door that God has opened for us. Or perhaps we’ve made our own plans and have decided to stand in front of the wrong door, expecting God to bless our mess. Or maybe we’re just so afraid of what lies beyond the door that we remain paralyzed by fear, and miss our opportunity to walk through the open door.

Whatever the reason and whatever the excuse, God does not expect us to be passive in our walk with Him. He’ll open the door, but we have to walk through it. God will make a way out of no way, but we have a responsibility to walk boldly in that way.

The Bible says that faith without works is dead - and that's true. You can have all the faith you want, but if your faith is not matched with some corresponding action, you’ll never achieve everything that God has in store for you.

Walk boldly in the path that God has laid out for you today!

God bless,
J.W.

The Holy Spirit

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." ~ John 14:16-17

While many Christian denominations deny the existence and/or significance of the Holy Spirit, this scripture proves otherwise. When we get saved - that is, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior - God gives us a Gift to help us face the everyday trials of life. It's up to us to either accept or reject that Gift. But either way, He's there and He's real. He lives inside of us. He is our direct connection to God. He's there to help us, to teach us, to guide us, to remind us, to counsel us, and to lead us.

If you find yourself failing to tap into this tremendous resource that God gives to His children, you are missing out on one of the most powerful benefits of being a Christian.

When we become believers, God gives us all the tools we need to be successful. The difference between our success and failure in life is the manner in which we use those tools.

God bless,
J.W.

Happy?

"...while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." ~ 2 Corinthians 4:18

As often as we use the word "happy" in today's society, surprisingly, it's very rarely used in the Bible.

Why?

Because God knows that happiness is based on our emotions, susceptible to one's plot in life or circumstance. As such, God never promises us happiness. Instead, He promises us such things as joy, peace, fulfillment, contentment - gifts expressed despite the circumstances in which one finds him- or herself.

God is eternal and, as such, wants to give us eternal things.

So, don't seek after those things which are fleeting and temporary. Instead, seek those things that can last forever.

God bless,
J.W.

Gifted

"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." ~ Luke 12:48

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had a grand sense of responsibility – responsibility to be somebody, to make something of my life, to be great. This has undoubtedly led some to wonder, “what makes you so special?”

The answer – Nothing. But I’ve been given so much in life – so many gifts, so many blessings, so much peace, joy, and love – I know there must be something big required of me.

God doesn’t give us gifts for us to keep them for ourselves. He gives us gifts so that we can share those gifts with others.

So, how much have you been given in your life? What kind of responsibility do you think that gives you?

According to the Bible, if you’ve been given much, then much is expected in return.

That’s a tremendous responsibility, but one worth having.

God bless,
J.W.